Gun Running in Papua New Guinea

138 Pages·2005·0.84 MB·English

by  Philip Alpers

SPECIAL REPORT
GUN-RUNNING IN
PAPUA NEW GUINEA:
FROM ARROWS TO ASSAULT WEAPONS
IN THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS
By Philip Alpers
Apublication
of the
Small Arms Survey
ISBN 2-8288-0062-8
GUN-RUNNINGINPAPUANEWGUINEA
THE SMALL ARMS SURVEY
The Small Arms Survey is an independent research project located at the Graduate
Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. It is also linked to the
Graduate Institute’s Programme for Strategic and International Security Studies.
Established in 1999, the project is supported by the Swiss Federal Department
of Foreign Affairs, and by contributions from the Governments of Australia,
Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It collaborates with research institutes and non-
governmental organizations in many countries including Brazil, Canada, Georgia,
Germany, India, Israel, Jordan, Norway, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Small Arms Survey Occasional Paper, Special Report, and Book series
present new and substantial research findings by project staff and commissioned
researchers on data, methodological, and conceptual issues related to small arms,
or detailed country and regional case studies. The publications are available in
hard copy and on the project’s Web site.
Small Arms Survey
Graduate Institute of International Studies
47 Avenue Blanc
1202 Geneva
Switzerland
Phone: + 41 22 908 5777
Fax: + 41 22 732 2738
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org
2
PUBLICATIONS
OCCASIONAL PAPERS
No. 1 Re-Armament in Sierra Leone: One Year After the Lomé Peace Agreement,
by Eric G. Berman, December 2000
No. 2 Removing Small Arms from Society: AReview of Weapons Collection and
Destruction Programmes, by Sami Faltas, Glenn McDonald, and Camilla
Waszink, July 2001
No. 3 Legal Controls on Small Arms and Light Weapons in Southeast Asia,
by Katherine Kramer (with Nonviolence International Southeast Asia),
July 2001
No. 4 Shining a Light on Small Arms Exports: The Record of State Transparency,
by Maria Haug, Martin Langvandslien, Lora Lumpe, and Nic Marsh
(with NISAT), January 2002
No. 5 Stray Bullets: The Impact of Small Arms Misuse in Central America,
by William Godnick, with Robert Muggah and Camilla Waszink,
November 2002
No. 6 Politics from the Barrel of a Gun: Small Arms Proliferation and Conflict in the
Republic of Georgia, by Spyros Demetriou, November 2002
No. 7 Making Global Public Policy: The Case of Small Arms and Light Weapons,
by Edward Laurance and Rachel Stohl, December 2002
No. 8 Small Arms in the Pacific, by Philip Alpers and Conor Twyford, March
2003
No. 9 Demand, Stockpiles, and Social Controls: Small Arms in Yemen, by
Derek B. Miller, May 2003
No. 10 Beyond the Kalashnikov: Small Arms Production, Exports, and Stockpiles in
the Russian Federation, by Maxim Pyadushkin, with Maria Haug and
Anna Matveeva, August 2003
No. 11 In the Shadow of a Cease-fire: The Impacts of Small Arms Availability
and Misuse in Sri Lanka, by Chris Smith, October 2003
No. 12 Kyrgyzstan: ASmall Arms Anomaly in Central Asia?, by S. Neil MacFarlane
and Stina Torjesen, February 2004
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GUN-RUNNINGINPAPUANEWGUINEA
No. 13 Small Arms and Light Weapons Production in Eastern, Central, and
Southeast Europe, by Yudit Kiss, October 2004, ISBN 2-8288-0057-1
No. 14 Securing Haiti’s Transition: Reviewing Human Insecurity and the Prospects
for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration, by Robert Muggah,
April 2005, ISBN 2-8288-0061-X
No. 15 Silencing Guns: Local Perspectives on Small Arms and Armed Violence in
Rural South Pacific Islands Communities, edited by Emile LeBrun and
Robert Muggah, June 2005, ISBN 2-8288-0064-4
4
PUBLICATIONS
SPECIAL REPORTS
No. 1 Humanitarianism Under Threat: The Humanitarian Impact of Small Arms
and Light Weapons, by Robert Muggah and Eric Berman, commissioned
by the Reference Group on Small Arms of the UN Inter-Agency
Standing Committee, July 2001
No. 2 Small Arms Availability, Trade and Impacts in the Republic of Congo,
by Spyros Demetriou, Robert Muggah and Ian Biddle, commissioned
by the International Organisation for Migration and the
UN Development Programme, April 2002
No. 3 Kosovo and the Gun: ABaseline Assessment of Small Arms and Light
Weapons in Kosovo,by Anna Khakee and Nicolas Florquin, commissioned
by the United Nations Development Programme, June 2003
No. 4 AFragile Peace: Guns and Security in Post-conflict Macedonia,
by Suzette R. Grillot, Wolf-Christian Paes, Hans Risser, and
Shelly O. Stoneman, commissioned by United Nations Development
Programme, and co-published by the Bonn International Center
for Conversion, SEESAC in Belgrade, and the Small Arms Survey,
June 2004, ISBN 2-8288-0056-3
No. 5 Gun-running in Papua New Guinea: From Arrows to Assault Weapons in
the Southern Highlands, by Philip Alpers, June 2005, ISBN 2-8288-0062-8
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GUN-RUNNINGINPAPUANEWGUINEA
BOOK SERIES
Armed and Aimless: Armed Groups, Guns, and Human Security in the ECOWAS Region,
edited by Nicolas Florquin and Eric G. Berman, May 2005, ISBN 2-8288-0063-6
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS CONSULTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COMMUNITIES REPRESENTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
MAPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Methodology and limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
II. SITUATION: REGION, NATION, AND PROVINCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Guns and the Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Papua New Guinea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Culture and politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Aslow, then sudden influx of guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Southern Highlands Province . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
III. STOCKPILES: GUN NUMBERS AND PRICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Illicit small arms in the Southern Highlands today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Rifles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Shotguns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Sub-machine guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Machine guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Handguns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Hand grenades,grenade launchers,and RPGs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Mortars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Surface-to-air missile launchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Factory-made firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
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Home-made guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Global costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
IV. TRANSFERS: SOURCES AND ROUTES OF SUPPLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Internal theft: the major source of illicit guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Thefts from police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Diversion of crime guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Thefts from the military . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
The missing weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
The 2004 PNGDF audit reassessed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Raids on military armouries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Thefts from prisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Other armed agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Cross-border smuggling: myth or reality? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
International sea lanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Torres Strait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
West Papua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Logging sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Solomon Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Internal smuggling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
The Moresby run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Guns for drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Bougainville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Smuggling v.theft: the weight of evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Legal importation of small arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Declared legal imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Undeclared legal imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Trade within the region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Ammunition supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Sources of ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Ammunition import/export controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Military calibres not coming from Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
V. EFFECTS: THE HUMAN COST OF ARMED VIOLENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Direct effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Gun-related death and injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Mendi Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Tari Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Gun homicide and tribal fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Relative individual firearm lethality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Gun suicide and unintentional shootings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Indirect effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Crime with guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Guns,rape,and gender-related crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Violations of human rights and humanitarian law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Tribal fighting: the effect of small arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Mercenaries,hired guns,and gunmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Transnational crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Guns and terrorism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Elections: gunpoint democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Guns and the elite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Access to basic services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Damage to the economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Development and aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Effects on aid programmes and personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Other effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
VI. MEASURES: ATTEMPTING TO CURB ARMED VIOLENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Lawful civilian gun ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Enforcement and imprisonment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Gun amnesties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Weapons for cash or development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Public destruction of state-owned weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Ammunition interventions: proven and promising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Reducing demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
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VII. FUTURE DIRECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
VIII. CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
ENDNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
BOXES
Box 1 The pedestrian and the machine gun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Box 2 Building new armouries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Box 3 Regional smuggling surveillance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Box 4 The Western Province submarine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Box 5 Violent injury in PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Box 6 Overall violent crime in PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Box 7 Tribal warfare: Testimony from the past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Box 8 Mark,the mercenary gunman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Box 9 Pacific model legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
FIGURES
Figure 1 Value of exports/imports of small arms
and ammunition to PNG by exporting country,
1970–2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Figure 2 Value of exports/imports of small arms
and ammunition to PNG by category,1970–2002 . . . . . . . .72
Figure 3 Ammunition export licences granted,
Australia to PNG,Jan.2000–Aug.2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Figure 4 Proportion of gunshot injuries in tribal fighting,
Mendi Hospital,1990–94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Figure 5 Rate of firearm-related hospital admissions in SHP
and Australia,per 100,000 population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
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